A Historic Day

My title might be a slight understatement!
It's September 16th!
A day when the Talence Multi's would--for all intents--end the 2018 OUTdoor Track & Field season!
With only the fall marathons left, we could basically wrap-up the season into a neat little bundle--and feel good about our conclusions!
Then September 16th happened!

And we suddenly have TWO WORLD RECORDS to consider!
Just hours ago, the Berlin Marathon began, with Eliud Kipchoge saying he would attempt a WR---on a course common to WR's!!
Tirunesh Dibaba also hinted at a WR attempt--but her target of 2:15:25 was seen as not as clear-cut as Kipchoge's!

And there were those Talence Multi's--where Kevin Mayer was competing.
Sure, he had DNF'ed the Euros Dec because of a 3-foul in the LJ--so MIGHT be wanting to redeem himself here!
But it's September 16th (& the 15th, the Dec's 1st day), the end of the season!
Did he still have his shape, his fire??

Berlin's is a "fast" course!
Meaning, you go there not for the scenic wonders, or even for the aromas of German cuisine!
You go there to attempt World Records!
Which is something Eliud Kipchoge is familiar with.
But all his tries had failed!
He'd WON, but winning wasn't his first intent--it was using the Berlin course to run--FAST!

So when the first 10K passed in 29:01, you knew yet another attempt was on!
But wait!
What can one say?--How does one react?--when you discover, at race's end, that his 29:01 was his SLOWEST of the 4??

This was a run where the pacers were doing their job, but Kipchoge was wanting more!
He had to yell at them (because of the crowd noise) to pick it up!
His 1st two 5's were in 14:24 and 14:37.
He calmed himself behind his rabbits with another 14:37, hitting 15K in 43:38.

But then his deep-seated, hard race-toughened, yet incredibly stoic veneer demanded he run his next 5000 in 14:18!!
He had run his second 10K in 28:55!!
He reached the Half in 1:01:06--pretty close to the 61 he'd asked for!
And he was now his own pacer!

He SLOWED to 14:28, reaching 25K (15.6 Miles) in 1:12:24!!
Clear of his rivals--which included Wilson Kipsang!!--his only "barrier" was Dennis Kimetto's WR of 2:02:57!
(Please do NOT raise his FAKE 2:00:25 as his "real" target!!  That run was ILLEGAL in every sense of the word!!)

He then raised the ante again--to a 14:21, and 30K in 1:26:45!
His THIRD 10000 had been run in 28:49!!
And then he ran faster!!
His 5000 between 30 & 35K matched his earlier 14:18!!
At a place where previous Berlin's had slowed, preparing for the "kill" over the final 7195 meters, Eliud Kipchoge was running FASTER!!
Could he sustain it?
Would he crash & burn?

His last measured 5K was "only" 14:29---but he'd run his FOURTH consecutive 10000 in 28:47!
His four 10K's were 29:01, 28:55, 28:49, and 28:47!
His pair of 20K's were 57:56 and 57:36!
His second Half had been run in 1:00:33!!

World Record of 2:01:39
Age 33 Record
National Record of Kenya
Moves from 4th A-T World to 1st!

The numbers alone seem so dramatic, so fantastic!
Yet to SEE him do it was STUNNING!!
Foot step after foot step, yard after yard, K after K--he never let up!
He WANTED the World Record--and he GOT it!!

Amos Kipruto was a far back 2nd in 2:06:23, followed by Kipsang's 2:06:48.
This wasn't a race against MEN, but a race for the History books!!

The Women, however DID have a RACE!!
Dibaba's "WR" desires were out the window after the initial K.
But she had a small contingent of serious opponents to contend with!
Edna Kiplagat, Ruti Aga, and Gladys Cherono!

Reaching 15K in 49:08--well under 2:20 pace--we found Dibaba leading, with Aga and Cherono not far behind--hidden behind and between a legion of male pacers!
The Half was passed in 1:09:03!!
25K was timed at 1:21:52, making the previous 10K's time as 32:44.
Now Cherono had the lead, tagged by Aga, with Dibaba faded out of the visuals!

The next 5000 saw a pick-up to 16:12!!
The move had been made, and Dibaba was just hanging on!
It was Cherono vs Aga!

But Cherono was too much for the young Aga!
She won Berlin in 2:18:11, her 2nd Half of 69:08 almost matching her first!
She got the Age 33 Record!
She moves from 10th A-T World to 4th!

Aga's 2:18:34 is the new Age 24 Record!
It makes her 6th A-T World!

But Tiru didn't go home empty-handed!
Her time of 2:18:56 is the best 3rd Place ever!!

As for the venerable Kiplagat, Edna's 2:21:18 gives her the Age 38 Record!
And makes her the oldest Woman to run a sub-2:22!!

As noted, September 15th began the DecaStar Talence meet!
And when Kevin Mayer--a name that doesn't SOUND French!!--PR'ed his 1st pair of events, you knew a serious WR attempt was ON!!

After his 10.55 in the 100, and 25-7.25 LJ,, his SP of 52-6 fell short of a 3rd PR!
But he was now over 100 points ahead of his Rio score of 8834 points!!
And he was well clear of his nearest rivals, the most serious of whom was Germany's Arthur Abele!

He HJ'ed a measly 6-8.75--stopping after that height!
Whispers of a possible injury were being thrown about!
Would he even finish??
So sighs of relief were heard when he ran his 400 in 48.42--considered "slow" for a World Class Decathlete!!

But Mayer is a different species of Dec animal!
At a reported 170 pounds, he's not supposed to be a good thrower!
Yet it's in his Throws where he really shines!

After another PR in the 110H--13.75--he threw the Discus 165-10!!
The WR--Ashton Eaton's 9045--was in his sights--with the ever-dangerous Pole Vault coming up!!

He'd Vaulted 5.60--and even 5.70 in an exhibition!
If he could reach just 5.30, the race to the WR would be on!
5.05--5.25--5.35!
Excitement was building!
He'd passed the most fearsome test of the 10 events!
And he wasn't done!!
He cleared 5.45--or 17-10.50!!

He was now on target for a World Record that wouldn't just "nip" Eaton's mark, but would definitively put an END to the entire Ashton Eaton Era!!
(Speaking of marks here, not Medals!)

So when his JT measured 235-11, his points total was now over 8400!!
Think about this!
After just nine events, his score would be enough to have won a vast majority of NCAA Dec's!!
And get him on the podium in quite a few international Dec's!
The question now was--By how much?--!!!
The answer is 81 points!

His 9126 (after a 1500 in 4:36.11) is the WR!
It's the Age 26 Record.
He breaks his own National Record of France!
He moves from 6th A-T World to 1st!

Abele's 8310 took the Silver!

The Women's Heptathlon was a decent competition, but there was no record chase!
Carolin Schafer won it with 6457 points.

Geraldine Ruckstahl was 2nd with 6391 points.
This breaks her own National Record of Switzerland!

Katarina Cachova took 3rd with 6381 points!

Yes, a truly HISTORIC stunner of a day!
Yet there was also the Half-Marathon in Copenhagen!!

Where Sifan Hassan ran her longest race over 5000 meters!!
Where Ms Hassan's 65:15 Winner suddenly makes her 8th A-T World!
She gets the Age 25 Record!
And the Netherlands National Record!!
She now has a range of times from a sub-2 in the 800, to a 4:14 Mile, to a 5000 in 14:22--to a Half in 65:15!!

Abebel Brihana took 2nd in 65:46.
This makes her 13th A-T World!!

Joan Melly's 66:15 in 3rd wasn't a PR, but Zaneba Yimer's 66:21 makes her 23rd A-T World!

The Men's race was much closer, but not up to DDD list-making standards!!
Daniel Kipchumba's 59:06 took the W from Abraham Kiptum's 59:09!
Jamal Mekonnen was 3rd in 59:14, followed by the Track-man--Yomif Kejelcha, whose 59:17 was his initial Half!!
Felix Kibitok's 59:21 wasn't far behind!

Yes, a truly stunning historic day in the sport of Track and Field!!
One that will resonate for years--maybe decades--to come!!

See you soon-ish!